Honduras, ''The future of our basketball is now''

TEGUCIGALPA (Honduras) – Honduras continue their Mini Basketball agenda. Their first step this year started as a great challenge: participating in the Americas Festival in Hermosillo, Sonora, with their U12 boys’ team while the FIBA Americas Congress took place in the same city. These activities were aligned with their vision to identify development spaces like initiatives such as Basketball for Good of the IBF, which aims to benefit children’s, development and competitive basketball in disadvantaged communities where practicing a sport isn’t part of their possibilities.

True to their work, now the Honduras National Basketball Federation's (FENABAH, for its Spanish acronym) Mini Basketball directives are preparing for the next stage, which involves a structure that's three times as large as the one that was designed in the beginning of 2019.

In this new phase, the nation’s objectives feature the incorporation of three Honduran representatives in the U10 boy’s, and U12 in both categories, alongside a new staff with eight coaches, toward the 2019 Copa Amistad Panamá, which will take place from June 3-7 in Panama.

“Panama has allowed me to be a part of the organization of their festival as a collaborator, in order to transmit the vision of the new focuses in their educational, sports and cultural environments, as was demonstrated by IBF in the 2019 Mini Basketball Congress in Mexico,” said Carmen Cubas, Mini Basketball director of the National Federation, to FIBA.basketball.

She also added: “We need the strength of national federations like FEPABA to elevate the national development of Mini Basketball. We must learn, improve and prepare our coaches under the new standards of this discipline. Our path is sports initiation and we must grow; this is how we build an extraordinary team of work, as volunteers, who shape the dreams of the Honduran children that will go to Panama.”

FIBA, through their Foundation, state that one of the fundamental objectives to create a Mini Basketball movement is to support and create internal structures (coaches, school programs, festivals) through local, national and international events.

“I'm proud of being a part of the Mini Basketball family of La Ceiba, Honduras. They presented me with the second edition project, that includes international participation, and I accepted the challenge of creating the La Ceiba pilot center. We don’t have much local support, but with Carmen Cubas we’ll move forward for our Mini Basketball,” said to FIBA.basketball Roberto Suazo, coach of the U12 team.

Panama’s Copa Amistad will bring together many countries. Apart from Honduras, also present will be Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and the hosts, Panama.

“I'm excited to participate in this competition. I'm very proud to be a part of the team and represent my country. I work hard in practice to play a good role and place Honduras’ name in the highest place,” added 10-year-old Elena María, from La Ceiba.

For Mini Basketball in Honduras, this project represents a boost to its development. Up to the moment they hadn't participated; now they find in international events a knowledge, learning and experimental platform to benefit their local projects, allowing the Central American country to face transcendental hurdles and have outstanding results.

“Basketball gave me discipline; I've learned to win and lose, and the passion for the minor leagues was born in me. We fell in love with this project. Children have an incredible energy. They want to shine with the strength and joy of their hearts. We're hopeful, we started out with nothing, but believing that we could do it. Panama is a challenge and we're here to help (the players) reach their success even in the face of difficulties,” added Javier Enrique Asfura, coach for the U10 boys’ team.

“Our 45-people delegation will experience the wealth of an international cultural and sports exchange. Panama and their basketball culture are an excellent place for our children to improve, grow and be happy while learning that sport develops personalities and characters that are oriented toward discipline, national values and the self-esteem that grows from constant work,” stated Carmen Cubas.

The children’s experiences are the reflection of the growth of Mini Basketball in each country. They're the reason this discipline’s global movement exists.

“I'm very proud to be a part of the U10 national team. It’s a blessing to be able to play this sport in Panama City. We’ll win this competition, God willing. My greatest inspiration is my family. They all practice basketball. My brother played in the U16 national team this year. This is the first time we represent Honduras,” said 9-year-old Elías Asfura, from the city of La Ceiba.

“It’s an honor to represent Honduras with the U12 team. I want to enjoy (this experience) with my teammates and give the best I can. In the Mini Basketball Festival in Mexico I had a very beautiful experience. I made friends and tried to do everything I could so that my team could move forward,” pointed out Marco Avilés, the only athlete with international experience.

Honduras Mini Basketball will keep working for the advancement of diverse youth clubs to create integration, opportunities and, above all, open spaces of participation. Colors, names, symbols, cultures come together to create the identity of a nation with unique characteristics. Mini Basketball continues strong, with a five-star team that follows the motto: “The future of our basketball is now.”

FIBA